Furnace heat transfer accelerator



Nov. 15, 1949 s, BOQNE 2,488,163

FURNACE HEAT TRANSFER ACCELERATOR Filed June 25, 1945 R I9 v H 10 m lz-- '7 r 19 .Zvvzwrae, 550 J? 500%; M firomvzx Patented Nov. 15, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE FURNACE HEAT TRANSFER ACCELERATOR Fred S. Boone, Indianapolis, Ind.

Application June 25, 1945, Serial No. 601,5 17 lClaim. (Cl. 257- 167) This invention relates to heating furnaces particularly of the warm air type and has to do essentially with the securing of the greatest possible f heat transfer from a radiating surface to the air that is to be circulated from the furnace. It has been common practice to provide heat radiators in conjunction with combustion chambers of furnaces wherein the heat radiators had vertical air is fiowingthereacross and that 'th fair is not heated to the extent that would be expected in accordance with the temperature of the wall about that column of air.

The present invention resides in means to effect a greater heating of the air passing through the radiator by utilization of the radiant heat in addition to the ordinary conduction as heretofore utilized.

With this in mind, reference is made to the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a view in top plan and partial section of a furnace;

Fig. 2, a vertical section on the line 22 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a transverse sectionion the line 33 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4, a view in section similar to that of Fig. 2 but showing a modified form of the invention; and

Fig. 5, a top plan view of the head of the fin construction shown in Fig. 4.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views in the drawing.

Referring first to Fig. 1, this figure illustrates in top plan in more or less diagrammatic manner a standard form of hot air furnace wherein there is a combustion chamber l from which heated gases are conducted through the pipe I l to a radiator l2 all within the housing [3 from which the usual heat ducts M are carried. The heat radiator I2 is provided with one or more vertical columns I 5 therethrough, open at top and bottom ends to permit air to enter at the lower end, pick up heat from the wall of the column and escape from the top end. That much is more or less standard construction.

The wall of the column I5 is exposed externally to the heated gases poured into the radiator l2 from the combustion chamber l0. Heat may be dissipated from this wall by conduction and radiation. The air moving through the column 2 l5 is heated mainly by conduction, that is by passing over the'interior surface of the column wall. Now in order to utilize the transfer by radiation, I insertwithin the column If) heat intercepting plates which willabsorb the heat radiating transversely'of the column.

In the form of the invention herein shown, this radiant heat intercepting plate arrangement consists primarily of the diametrically positioned plates. l6, l1 and .18. For convenience in manufacturing, the, platel8 has a width which will permit it to slide snuglyon a diametrical plane longitudinally within the column 15, and then the plates i6 and "are fixed to the plate l8 to be in a common diametrical plane normal to thatof the plate. l8. As indicated, the edges ofthe plates l6 and 'I! adjacent the plate I8 are provided with flanges l 9 through which they may be welded or otherwise secured to the plate l8. Theexact manner of securing and positioning these various plates oneto the other may vary. [The essential feature is that the plates do extend'across the column l5 so that heat radiating from the inner circumferential wall of the column l5 will be intercepted by these plates and be heated thereby.

The upper ends of the plates I6, I! and I8 project above the topside of the radiator l2, and in the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the plates I 6 and Il are curved around in opposite directions to deflect columns of air coming up along those plates outwardly in opposite directions from the plane of those two plates. Then the upper end of th plate I8 is bifurcated to have one side curved over in one direction and the other side in the opposite direction, as best indicated in Fig. 1.

Not only does the presence of these vertically positioned plates within the column l5 pick up the radiant heat from the wall of the column l5 and thereby add additional heated surfaces over which the column of air passing up through the column. l5 must traverse, but the upper ends of those plates which project or extend beyond the top of the radiator I2 radiate heat from those ends in addition to causing a substantial whirling and intermixing of the air above the radiator. This whirling of the air thereabove also tends to move the air more rapidly across the topside of the radiator 12 in order that additional heat may be transferred within a given time from that top wall to the air.

Referring to that form as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the same plate arrangement is provided within the radiator column l5, but instead of curving the upper ends of the plates in the manner above described, the upper ends of the plates are left in their straight, planar conditions, and a deflector head I9 is provided to surround the upper portions of those plates. This head I9 is substantially a frusto-conical sheet metal member, the upper and smaller diameter end of which rests at the upper corners of the various plates l6, l1 and 48 to have the lower and, larger diameter portion surrounding and spaced from those plates, and also spaced above the topside of the radiator l2. Since the air is moving upwardly through the column IS in the normal operati n, the divided columns between the various plates will tend to travel on upwardly to discharge from the topside of the member l9 and at the same time produce an injector type action by pulling air into the deflector from its underside, thereby setting up currents of air across the topside of the heat radiator 12, this air being added to the combined air leaving the topside of the deflector.

In any event, the various plates l6, l1 and I8 are supported within the column I5 by any suitable means, herein shown as by angle brackets 20, one leg secured to each outer plate edge portion and another leg extending outwardly to rest on the topside of the radiator l2 adjacent the opening of the column IS. The lengths of the brackets are such in conjunction with the location of the supporting brackets 20 that the lower ends of the plates will be spaced upwardly a distance within the column 15 in order that a iull column diameter area will be available for an initial inlet of the air before the air divides to go on the various sides of the plates.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the upper ends of the plates maybe vformed on the job if desired so that the degree of deflection of the columns of air coming u along the plates may be adjusted as desired. That is, the upper ends may be bent from the vertical to any desired degree of angularity, depending upon 4 the conditions. By pulling the outer ends downwardly closer to the topside of the radiator l2, a greater cross circulation of the air may be had than if the ends were left in more upright positions.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the particular forms as illustrated, it is obvious that structural changes may be made, such as in the number of vertical plates employed, the mode of assembling them one to another, the manner of suspension within the radiator columns, and the air deflecting means at their upper ends, all without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore do not desire to be limited to those precise forms beyond the limitations as may be imposed by the following claim.

I claim:

For a heat radiator having :a vertically disposed hot air passageway therethrough, a heat transfer accelerator unit comprising :a :plurality of Plates having lower straight length portions to extend within said passageway from its upper end, said straight length portion in each instance being radially disposed from a longitudinal axis coinciding substantially with the axis of the passageway, and said plates each having an upper curved portion to extend externally of said passageway upwardly and outwardly from the plane of said straight ortion.

FRED S. BOONE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 563,240 McCowatt June 30, 1896 2,378,344; Warrick June 12, 1945 

